Farming students disappointed by Bill 6

Sabrina Kooistra
Times Junior Contributor

 

Arguably, the most controversial bill in Alberta this year is Bill 6. Farmers were infuriated by the new changes that will and are being implemented, and the source of most of this anger is from the provincial government’s apathy in addressing the actual concerns of farmers.
Children who are growing up in Albertan farming families, many of which are planning on pursuing a career in this industry, are disgusted by the changes.
Strathmore High School (SHS) students Layne Wilson, Connor McBean, and Colten Stewart, participants in the Green Certificate Training Program, a course that awards farming students with their early-acquired farming knowledge, were particularly displeased by the legislation’s intentions.
“They’re trying to make it safer, but the way they’re going about it is awful,” McBean said. “They’re cramming it down our throats whether we want it or not.”
The students also addressed the concern they feel for the destruction this bill will have on the future of their and other families multi-generational farming operations.
“When you don’t do it when you’re younger, you lose interest in it … so there’s no one to take over this farm and pretty soon there’s no more farms or ranches or anything … pretty soon, [farming] will just die out,” Wilson said.
Not only will the next generation lose interest in the industry, some Albertans fear that current farmers may pull out of their careers in agriculture.
“It’s going to be more work and people may not want to deal with the extra hassle of it, and just say to heck with it,” McBean added.
Among the concerns for family farms is the jeopardy that 4-H may encounter due to this bill and the safety measures it outlines. 4-H is a program with a variety of projects that members can take part in, but with some safety hazards present when tending to animals, it is believed that Bill 6 may eventually terminate the program. Though the Alberta government assures that 4-H will not be affected by the legislation, Albertans are skeptical.
“4-H is ‘learn to do by doing.’ You learn not to walk behind your horse because it’s going to kick you … but if you never learn that, or if you never learn how to handle a calf or the best way to feed your calf, you’re never going to know that, and that’s kind of what 4-H is about; learning that,” Wilson said.
4-H is celebrated for being a program that rewards members with credibility and competence in important life skills such as public speaking and community service.
It also teaches children of all ages how to be responsible and to demonstrate a commendable work ethic in any task that is presented to them.
“A lot of kids learn from that experience” Stewart said.
What made the students the most annoyed was the fact that Bill 6 was not written by people who know first-hand what the daily procedures on a farm are, and so for them to restrict farmers when they may not even know what needs to be solved, seems illogical.
“I think people that actually know what work takes place on the farm, someone that’s lived or worked on a farm (who) has actual experience should have been in charge of writing the bill so they actually know what is needed and acceptable,” McBean said.
Wilson agreed, “Why should they have that rule or why should they take away parts of our lives if we were already taught by our parents? It’s how we were raised. You should already be raised to know better.”
In addition to the damage that may be done to family farms, the students agreed that all facets of agriculture in Alberta will suffer.
“Without the grain and raw materials coming in from the farms there would be less work at factories and processing and so people could lose their jobs,” McBean said.
But for Wilson, it’s affecting the province in more ways than just job losses.
“So many people come to see Calgary Stampede and for some people it might just be to enjoy themselves, but for lot of people, that’s almost their culture … Canada is a multicultural country that’s supposed to be accepting of all of these cultures and their rules even if it’s not safe.”